Catch Me When I Fall
by Pineapple References
Summary: They lived in such a beautiful area. The sky never clouded the winding path was peaceful and the green never faded. Their little home was perfect if not a bit odd but that was alright, it suited them perfectly. But everything was not alright. It had been a month since their fights had become more serious losing it's usual fire. He could no longer so much as look in his dulled eyes.


Heracles forced himself up the hill to his home with dread. Each day he returned his bag got lighter and lighter, but the pressure in his head increased with every passing second. He took a break to stop and look at the house as he neared the top of the incline. It was a beautiful area, the brown gray soil clashed with the open skies, and a few plants grew here and there scattering the otherwise dull dirt road with flecks of green. The sides of the path were a different story, flourished greens, bushes, and a few trees created a beautiful scenery up until the clearing for the houses came into view. Then a winding plane stretched out about a half mile before another incline with more houses followed way up ahead. He'll admit his house was a bit unusual compared to its neighbors, something between a mix of a common American suburban style, and a cozy cottage. Everything about the little home was oddly perfect, he felt it suited them so well, it all just fell into place. What could possibly make it a less than perfect home? Yet somehow in the past month his home had become less than comfortable, almost grim.

Heracles sighed as he plucked the white kitten off of his head and placed it in his disclosed satchel. It wasn't exactly the weight he wanted on his shoulder, but it just felt so reassuring, like having the added weight created a false sense of security. He sucked in a breath as he approached the small wooden door, nearly forgetting the patio's steps were even there. He ducked into the door finding the main hall to be casually bare, it was plain and simple, it didn't _need_ anything over the beige wall paint. The only glow of light that flooded into the house came from the diminishing sunlight outside. As if sensing the building tension the kitten curled over the outer edge of the satchel, hopped from the small lapse between the bag and ground, and scampered down the hall to the right, probably to it's favorite spot on the small couch. Heracles sighed and went down the hall making a left to the kitchen. There he nearly flinched under Sadiq's heated glare, his muscular arms crossed tensely over his chest, and he leant back on the marble counter where a stray piece of paper lay as if it was thrown down haphazardly. Heracles could almost hear Sadiq force it against the marble, imagining the paper scrape down onto the surface as he released frustrated shouts probably while punching something in close rage. Sadiq lifted a finely sculpted brow skeptically as a greeting, as it had been the past month. No more hello's. No more hugs. Brief conversation that didn't lead to arguing was foreign.

"Not today Sadiq," Heracles ran a hand through his sweaty hair as he placed down his bag remorsefully on a lone wooden chair strayed from the square table.

"Our bill just went up Heracles. We can't keep living like this," Sadiq's stony glare followed him around the kitchen as he went to pick off a small piece of bread, swallowing it without so much as tasting the likely stale product.

"We still have time, we don't have to pay the bills as soon as we get them," Heracles sighed knowing it was likely a lie considering how things have changed.

"I don't want us to end up like _them _Heracles, if we wait too long to pay it off I just won't know what we'll do," Heracles cringed at the mention of those who were kicked out of their homes in their area. The economy has gone down so much that it wasn't even considered a possibility that they'd be spared much more time. They have already stopped using electricity for the sake of keeping up with more important bills. What else would they be willing to sacrifice to prolong losing it all? Anything to keep what was left of their once perfect home.

"I'll figure it out eventually," Heracles subconsciously responded. How many times had he mumbled that before? Too many for it to become habit like this.

"You said that yesterday. The day before. The past week. Should I go further?" Sadiq's cold monotonous response cut through Heracles' chest with every additional regard to his momentous downfall. It just wasn't the same anymore. When had their fights become so solemn?

"I know, but it's-"

"It's what? _Hard?_ I'll tell _you_ what's hard, being the _only_ goddamn source of income in this house _that's_ hard." Heracles physically winced at his gruff tone and the sound of a thick calloused palm slamming down onto the counter, he felt awful for being so helpless. He used to be so powerful, he could pay off anything months in advance, still having the luxury of coming home to a lazy, brightly lit, carefree atmosphere. Then he felt so strong, so supportive, so _loved_.

"It's not much, but don't make it sound as if I'm not contributing _anything. _I'm _trying_ for god's sake, give me some credit for bringing anything back at all."

"I know Heracles, but it's just _not enough_. We don't have the freedom of wasting time on trying to figure out solutions anymore. That farm of yours will have to be used for our own needs if you can't make enough money off of it." Heracles frowned, his intentions weren't said but Sadiq had a way of speaking around these kinds of things to get the message across.

"We can't just sell the farm Sadiq, it's not only a family business, but that money will not make it in the long run." Heracles looked disgusted at the very _idea_ of selling off his beloved fields.

"Well what do you suggest huh? I work three jobs now, and your _one_ is keeping you from doing something that can actually get us back on our feet, you need to pick it up."

"I'm sorry. I work as hard as I can all day, I don't know what else to do." Heracles looked down to avoid any more eye contact. There used to be fire in those eyes, those fights were meaninglessly competitive, ending in a smug victor and a delicious meal cooked by the loser, made up with kisses and a content sleep. Their glorious routine spoiled by the cold shoulder of poverty.

"You can quit the job, make farming a simple hobby or a side thing, and make a _real _living at a _r__eal_ job in a _REAL_ workplace." Sadiq growled, his frustrations grew daily, he never got the chance to pursue a decent 'fun' job like Heracles had enjoyed working in the fields, he was constantly angered by working back and fourth between factories and companies drier than dry, dull, boring, everything he _didn't_ want work to be. Putting up with it was almost as awful as the fear of being kicked out of their house, the house they grew up in. _Almost._

"My job _is_ real, just because it isn't stacking boxes in some damn sweatshop or boredly working at some _assembly line_ _doesn't _mean it's not hard work." Heracles looked up with a sneer. Sadiq snarled at the mention of his least favorite jobs in the world.

"Shut up! It's not like yours is any better, oh _fantastic _so you pick a few fruits and sell them whoop-de-_fucking_-doo. What else!?" Sadiq barked. Heracles leaned towards Sadiq abruptly, getting in his face, and brought his hand down to the counter harshly.

"Yea, well at _least I_ don't have to worry about getting laid off every _fucking _day by my boss because I do a shit job and hate being at work more than I _hate_ _being here_," Heracles hissed, his words dripping with venom. After seeing the pain cloud over Sadiq's eyes as the realization sunk in, he felt the slightest twinge of remorse but refused to let it show. Sadiq's eyes went dark and narrowed into slits as he shouted in his face.

"YEA!? Well if you _hate_ being here then just _get out_ already. I don't _need__ you,_ I'm making more on my own keeping this shit house standing. Just _leave _and save yourself the trouble of making anything for us anymore! It would save me your fucking expenses." Heracles shook his head slowly, he wasn't crying but the frustrated tears pricked at his eyes and rolled down his tanned cheeks.

"My olives aren't selling anymore Sadiq," Heracles' voice quavered lowly. Sadiq's breath hitched at the dour expression painting over his partner's face. He'd gone _too _far. The cold faraway look in his eyes glinted in the faint light as he rambled off.

"Those stupid goats don't keep up, and I have no choice anymore. I've killed off so many," The defeated tears came down more achingly than before, wrenching at Sadiq's chest to see him in so much pain.

"You know how hard it is to sell natural olives, grapes, or milk? People only want that canned supermarket crap, I'd drop dead before selling any of _my_ farm's produce there. What about goat meat? Can you imagine selling absolute strangers an animal you considered _family_ that couldn't keep up with you, so you just got rid of it the only way you could? Don't even get me started on pricing. Those damn buyers insist only the _best_ prices, and with the state we're in now I can't help but to sell all I have to offer that day, even for a little money. I thought it would make you proud. I just thought I'd be useful again," Heracles choked on his last words and dropped to his knees, covering his quavering lips with his hands. No amount of anger or frustration Sadiq had for the past _month_ could compare to all of the guilt consuming him right now. He'd been _so_ hard on him for scraps, and all this time...

"Heracles," Sadiq reached out only to be ignored. Heracles curled his knees to his chest and shook his head, shutting Sadiq out.

"You know what's funny, even the cats started to leave that old barn. It's like they somehow know how awful it's been there and they just choose to stay out of it." Sadiq called out more forcefully.

"Heracles." He looked up and even with teary eyes his anger burned deep.

"Was a fucking sob story all you needed Sadiq? Newsflash, it's _been_ happening. And not _one_ _day_ this month did you ask how my day was, how _anything _was, just worrying about getting some goddamn money for this stupid house." Sadiq stepped back and cringed internally, he was right. They haven't really been talking lately.

"I-I'm sorry Heracles it's-"

"You're sorry _now_? I busted my ass for you, for _us_ this whole month so you could be _sorry_ when it's too late? Where were you?" That last sentence took Sadiq by surprise. Where _had_ he been? He let Heracles, he let _them_ come to this during all this time and for what? Stability? Sadiq had enough, he _refused_ to cause this much pain without doing something about it. Their home wasn't complete without a good relationship within it, or at least okay with their unusual way of showing affection. Sadiq sat down next to Heracles on the cold tile floor, taking the smaller man by surprise as he pulled him into his lap, and prevented him from worming away by hugging firmly around his waist.

"I'm sorry Heracles, I never meant to let us fall apart," soothing words brushed along Heracles' ear and neck. The arms around his waist hugged nearly painfully tight and a few small kisses worked their way down behind his ear, to the base of his neck. Heracles huffed indignantly, he wouldn't cave _that_ easily.

"I would never let you down, I'm _always_ here for you." Heracles' head tilted slightly to the left leaving more room to let Sadiq rest his chin on a toned shoulder. Heracles still refused to budge.

"Why weren't you there then? There was no motivation, no support. How could I have possibly worked knowing you wouldn't be happy with any progress, or with me? You couldn't step out of our problems for a minute just to focus on us, to have just a little happiness during all of this, let me know that we weren't also failing." Sadiq rubbed Heracles' stomach soothingly as he scrunched his eyes in pain, letting each verity sink in as he realized how painfully true it all was. Heracles turned to his right, nuzzling softly into a worn shoulder as Sadiq's hands moved up to twist in his hair.

"I was so distracted then, nothing else mattered to me but our happiness and I thought that would mean keeping this home. The real problem was the home, keeping me from seeing how torn apart it had already become." Sadiq placed a small kiss on his forehead and hummed lightly while Heracles settled down, and his short breaths evened.

"Better?" Sadiq tilted his head to catch a glance of Heracles' reddened face lighten up to a soft pink as he nodded.

"Good, I'll get cooking," Sadiq grinned sadistically as he pushed Heracles off his lap to the floor. He smirked as he walked around get a few ingredients and a lighter for the stove.

"Cook?" Heracles humphed, "you haven't cooked a decent meal since four attempts ago," Heracles smirked, a small fire slowly kindling in their eyes.

"It's your fault you can't appreciate _good _food, like that Dakso crap you like so much." Sadiq _always _pronounced it wrong on purpose. That ass.

"It's _Dakos, _and it's an _excellent_ traditional Greek dish."

"Yea, whatever can you get me the grape leaves," Sadiq said distractedly as he started up the stove for a chopped meat. Heracles rolled his eyes as he went searching, bringing back the bag of grape leaves as Sadiq started to boil water for the rice. Heracles looked slowly at all of the ingredients Sadiq pulled out, it was simple compared to most ways of making the dish, but he couldn't help but to smile when he saw Sadiq chopping a pepper with the most serious expression and put it all together.

"You're making _dolmadakia_?" Heracles lifted a brow he knew Sadiq couldn't see as he stepped behind him and snaked his arms around a muscled waist.

"Yea, _so_? Whatever I haven't made it in a while so I thought-" Heracles stopped him mid-sentence as he rested his cheek on the other's strained back, torn from lifting inhumane weight in boxes day after day. He felt guilty when Sadiq tried to cover up his wince, they must've made him lift more than he could handle. His whole back was so torn. Heracles mumbled something into his shoulder that didn't quite reach Sadiq's hearing.

"What was that?" Sadiq turned his head far enough where he could see Heracles' cheek slightly lifted as he pressed it against his shoulder.

"I knew you'd be here, y-you came back," Heracles reddened as Sadiq made a face between admiration and smug glee at his sentiment. He felt his soft laugh work its way to his back, rumbling within him.

"Heracles I never left. Even if I do stray I'll always be here to help you out," Sadiq brought an arm around his waist to pet Heracles on the back soothingly while the other hand flicked the chopped peppers onto a skillet.

"You're still not off the hook you know," Heracles tightened his grip on a muscular waist nearly immobilizing his already tensing form. "At least your cooking doesn't look _too _awful."

"Hah! Just wait until you _try_ it. My cooking is the best!" Sadiq laughed as Heracles failed at his attempts to punch his stomach lightly.

"Yea well if it tastes _half _as good as you say it is then _maybe_ I'll let you make it up to me tonight." Heracles snickered as his hands trailing upwards caused him to breathe airily. He soon adjusted and snickered cockily as usual.

"Is that a promise?" Sadiq wiped his handa off on a nearby towel as he let the food cook a little more.

"I don't know, will you become a dick again?" Heracles poked a nail into his arm.

"Not likely." Sadiq elbowed the offending hand away from his arm.

"Then yes," Heracles moved his head up resting his head on Sadiq's shoulder.

"Then I guess you're stuck with me," Sadiq laughed. "Because, no matter _how_ fat you are-" Heracles huffed. "-I'll always be here to catch you when you fall."

"I guess I am then. But don't count on me falling often." Heracles smiled softly as he stood up straight to kiss Sadiq, finally after what felt like a lifetime of nothingness.

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><p><strong>AN: Alright thank you so much for reading this means a lot, especially this is the first story I wrote in a while that I actually loved to write and it DIDN'T turn out as bad as a few others had. I apologize if they are a bit OOC but this is my first time writing these two as a couple so go easy on me. Review just for shits and giggles, to say how you felt about it, help me improve with any advice you're willing to share, or if you're just one of those people that just like making someone's day. Again, thanks a bunch and. . .**

**Happy Reading/Writing!**


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